EPA Chief Visits Americus

The head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency was in South Georgia today for a town hall meeting to find out what rural Georgians have to say about the environment.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is partnering with the Congressional Black Caucus for the so-called “Environmental Justice Tour.” The meeting in Americus gave rural Georgians a chance to share concerns about pending EPA regulations affecting agriculture, as well as air and water quality issues.

Jackson says income and race have historically influenced land use. She says going forward the EPA wants to make sure poor communities are not disproportionately targeted.

“The sighting of everything from plants to disposal facilities can mean, not always means that you have to be specifically on the lookout to ensure that community is not bearing more than its share of the environmental burden.”

Jackson says the EPA would also like to see rural communities be able to clean up old factories and put the land back to productive use.